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Hi I had lodged my visa on july 16, CO assigned 26 sept.its 21 oct today, had already uploaded every required docs beforehand. no correspondence from the CO. Since the case is taking more than 3 months as specified in the website. Mailed some queries to the co with the case number on the title but no response what-so-ever. Did anyone face similar kind of problem.

Hi, I got my skill assessment certificate in Mar-2011. Now my professional experience is of 5 years and I am eligible for GSM. I need information as follows. I'd be grateful if u provide information accordingly. 1) What visa category is the most suitable for GSM. 2) Is there any state sponsoring "Telecommunications Network Engineer" with ANZSCO 263312. 3) What is processing time for GSM and state sponsored applications. 4) Is there any upper limit for number of applications to be accepted against a particular occupation is GSM. Thanks in advance.

Hi everybody. I am new to the forum and want to find out how to prove the years of experience while applying for 175 or 176 GSM visa? My brother has applied for a RPL from ACS and is expecting a positive assessment soon, based on the correspondence till date. The RPL requires 6 years of experience. His total experience is 9 yrs+. In order to obtain the 15 points for overseas work experience, he needs to prove his relevant work experience to be more than 8 years. We believe ACS will certify that he has more than 6 years of experience based on the RPL reports. What is the way to establish the balance years if ACS does not mention that in the assessment result? Any suggestion/opinion will be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance becky

The position of Office Manager, ANZSCO 512111 has been removed from the new Consolodated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL. This means the position is no longer eligible for GSM, ENS or 457. If this change affects you, start looking at other migration options including RSMS or investigating skills you have which may be transferrable to another occupation on the CSOL.

Did you know there is no longer a requirement for Australian visa applicants to meet the 12/24 month work experience requirement for DIAC? See information from DIAC's GSM policy department: "As the new visas are applied for after an invitation is issued through SkillSelect there is now no longer any prerequisite requirements for the applicant to demonstrate recent skilled work experience or recent Australian Study. However these factors still remain as areas in which an applicant can seek to claim points under the points test." This could be handy news for some applicants!

My husband and I submitted our application for GSM175 in September 2009 and have heard nothing since. :sad: We are applying with my job (1224-11 Information Technology Manager) which is on SOL schedule 2 (not Schedule 1) so we are in priority group 5. As far as I can see, all priority group 5 applications will only commence any form of approval process when ALL other visa applications for Australia are completed. Reading between the lines, does this mean that ALL other application for a visa to Australia from how ever many number of years ago until now will be processed before ours is even picked up? We have been waiting now 35 months (3 years) and have not heard anything. I am more frustrated to not be able to find ANY yard stick for exactly HOW long we might be waiting – it would be great to know something! Anything! Anyone else apply for a General Skilled Migration visa (175) in 2009 with a profession NOT on the main SOL?

Hi, I am on group 5, applied in September 2009. They are up to processing Feb of 2008, as listed on the immigration website : http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/estimated-allocation-times.htm, it says that the applications have been "allocated". Once mine has been allocated, say 2-3 months from now (i hope, or just saying) HOW LONG UNTIL I GET MY VISA? Will it take much longer? or is it finalised withing 3 months? please some sources is useful!

Hello all! I am new here and glad that I found this very informative site. I have decided to embark on applying for GSM 175 visa. I am able to meet the 65 points if I can get good score on IELTS, and I’ll need ACS assessment. I worked as software developer from Aug 2007 till Oct 2009, then worked in same capacity from Sep 2010, however the second employer gone busted 3 months after that. My current job in same role started from June this year till present. Those gaps between jobs were a mix of unemployment and temporary jobs not related to ICT. So I already met ACS requirement of 2 years in 7 years work experience.However I will not meet DIAC’s 12 months in past 24 months experience requirement until March 2012. After a good amount of research I believe I need to do the following. Please see if it’s a correct plan or have I missed out something? - Apply for ACS assessment. - Sit for IELTS. - If the outcomes of the above are positive, start gathering all required materials for 175 lodgement. Once March 2012 hits I’ll get my current employer’s reference and lodge 175. Questions: 1) Can I get ACS assessment first, and provide updated employment reference when lodging 175 application to cover the period between ACS lodgement and 175 lodgement? Or DIAC would only consider experience stated in ACS assessment result. 2) What I’m worry about is the short 3-months stint in the busted company. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to state such short stint in an application. Also since it’s gone I’m not able to obtain employer reference from them, instead I can only provide statutory declaration. However ACS’s PASA guidelines stated: “If you provide a Statutory Declaration with your application, you must also provide some form of corroborative information from a third party to substantiate the claims made in the Statutory Declaration.” What third party information I can provide here? I can only think of employment contract, payslips and letter of release from this employer. And if I can’t prove this period of employment I’ll have to wait till June 2012 to meet the DIAC’s 12 months requirement. Thanks in advanced and thanks for reading this far!

I applied for the 885 Visa on June 11, 2011, and have already been granted a CO. However, my study end date was December 9, 2010 (6 months + 2 days prior to lodging application). The only thing I have to submit now to my CO is a PCC. However, since my PCC takes 4-6 months to process if i am overseas, I really cannot wait on this time frame, so I want to fly to my home country, personally get the PCC (they give it within 2-3 days if you apply for PCC in own country), then come back to OZ to finalise my application. My question is, that based on the information I provided, what is the likelihood that I will be granted a visa if I am 2 days over the 6 month time frame? Is there ANY leniency on this matter exercised by COs? Should my husband and I take a trip to our home country ($4000+) just to get a PCC and come back within a week to OZ, only to potentially have our application rejected? We've put in a tremendous amount of money, time and effort into this, as i'm sure all of those who apply for similar visas would, only to realize we were "late" by 2 days, but we lodged anyway. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi, Myself my wife and kid are on my 176 gsm visa which I need to validate by October 2012. I need to get a new child visa 101 for our child due in February 2012 and the DIAC site says it takes 7 to 8 months. Does anyone know if I can just enter and leave Australia to validate my 176 visa or does my wife and kid have to go also? If we don't get the child visa 101 by October 2012 then I must validate my own 176 visa. Thanks

Hello All, This is my first post on this forum, and am here seeking advise from the Aussie Visa Experts I am Jai from India and have 6 yrs exp in IT field. I wish to apply for Aus PR visa, and have passed the points test (65) on Aus immigration website. Has anyone filed for a PR on their own without going thru an agent?? I have contacted a migration agent in India, and seem to charge too high for the services, so thinking to apply on my own. just want to know how complicated is the process? Appreciate all your help!! Thanks in advance.. I2wannafly!! :wink:

Hi Just wanted an opinion. I had applied for my GSM Subclass 176. I was asked to pay a fee difference on Nov 3 and made the payment to GSM Validity the same day. But have not heard from GSM Validity or my CO. Is it common not to hear from CO's for long periods of time.

Hi all- new to the forum- i am in the process of putting together my GSM application without the use of an agent and am certain i meet all the requirments for a residence visa. However my partner and i cannot prove a de-facto relationship for 12 months. By the time i lodge my applciation we can prove 6 months. We do not want to wait until we can prove 12 months. I hope to put her on my visa but i unsderstand this may have its pitfalls. my questions would go out to anyone how may have been in a similar situation the following ; 1: how does the process work is my visa first awarded then they review my partners situation on a seperate basis?. 2: Will including her on my visa affect the award of my visa . i.e. would i have to re-apply if they do not grant her permission to enter oz on my visa? 3: Is there any other channels of getting her a visa if mine is granted but without her being included on it?. Currently i am hoping to lodge the application with her included and hope for the best. Any and all help/advice would be much appreciated.

Hi just taking a shot in the dark. Need five more points to be sure cross 65. I got 8, 7.5.7,7 and overall 7.5. Can this score give me 15 points on better english levels. The requirement on new points system is 20 points for a score of 8 in each and 10 points for score of 7 in each. Does anyone know if this exists or is on the discretion of the case officer. Or is it a straight NO. Thanks,

Hi, I have lodged (online) my 175 in March 2011 (so I'm Cat4). I have been lucky and got a job offer in Oz ; they want me to start around mid-February. My new employer can sponsor me but the paperwork will be a hassle, and since the Cat4 is moving, I'm wondering if it's worth getting the 457 visa... I could have a CO in the next weeks and a grant soon enough. In the meantime, to make sure I can move in February, I'm considering applying for a WHV(417), even if I have to spend a week in NZ to have my grant letter (there are worse places to spend a week ) So, my questions - Can I lodge online a 417 application whilst I have a 175 online in the pipe ? I have seen several opposite answers, so has anyone done it before ? - Is it safe for my 175 application ? No risk to see it cancelled ? Should I lodge a PLE to warn DIAC that I'm applying for another visa ? Thanks from France !

Hi, This week I was granted my permanent residence visa for Australia along with my girlfriend. We're both still bouncing off the walls, can't believe it finally came through. So I thought I'd post some of the timing details, I remember checking my application status daily and searching online for any clues of how long it might take, hopefully this will help others who are still waiting. Application lodged on 29/09/2010 Additional information requested 26/05/2011 - police checks, medicals and additional proof of my de facto relationship. Additional information sent 24/06/2011 (police check took around 2 weeks to be completed - UK) Visa granted 21/09/2011 Any questions let me know Andy

I have started this thread for sharing the time line of paper-based GSM applications so that it will be helpful for our forum members. Guys please share your time line. I have sent my paper application last Wednesday and it has reached DIAC today. Waiting for the ACK from DIAC. Hope it takes a month at least...

Prior to yesterday's suspension, quite a few of us managed to lodge applications and are now sitting with fingers crossed, touching wood etc etc hoping our applications are accepted. There's also been speculation about how quickly [or not] these applications may be processed. Please could you add your details below and update on your progress? I'll start... Names: David & Nicky [he's the applicant] Visa Type: 176 QLD sponsored CSL: yes Job: .NET Developer Progress: got the TRN number and they've taken our money...

here the true finding of why they create massive backlog to go for cap and cease valid gsm applicants .it was neither over flow of trade workers and nor unemployment but only becoz of pleasing green's asylum policy and let to be their side. no doubt after reading this :realmad: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/surge-in-visa-success-rates-luring-boatpeople/story-fn9hm1gu-1226124895416

DIAC said they will not update the automated processing mail. But, they provide the following pages. http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/estimated-allocation-times.htm The above page is information about allocation date.

Hi All ! I was stuck in the queue of 485 for almost 1.5 years and just received the grant. I applied on 10th Feb 2010. Now, the points test has been changed as well. So, I'm looking for claiming experience from overseas work, which I didn't consider before. I have been classified as an Electronic Engineer. I worked almost 3-4 years in designing and building UPS/ IPS. and earlier 2-3 years as a coumpuer maintenance officer. Let me say, most the time period of these work were when I was studying my engineering. Would they be countable ? Almost 4 years during graduation and 2-3 years after that. All these were my part time job but more than 20 hours. Any view is appreciated.

Hi there,:smile: I have lodged my application for GSM 175 Independent visa online through a Migration Agent in Australia. I am still waiting for CO to be assigned to my application. My question is " Can I undergo Medical tests before CO advise me to do so?" Your replies in this regard will be appreciated. Thank you in advance. Cheers, Shrikant:smile:

Hello All, Finally lodged my GSM 175 visa for myself and my spouse(secondary applicant) today After the payment confirmation page, I got my TRF number. Haven't received any emails from DIAC yet. Was wondering if I can start uploading supporting documents in the eVISA system or should I wait until I am asked to do so. I am worried because I have heard that we get only 28 days to submit all the required documents. Is this 28 days counted from the date of eVISA lodgment or from the date of CO allocation ? Also, where could I download forms (Form 80, Form 1221) customized for my application. I have heard that it would have some kind of application details in each of the form's footer/header. Finally, while trying to upload I don't see any option to select person for which I am attaching doc. Could I just upload document in following format to make it clear : Applicant_Name_Document_type For e.g. Ujwol_Shrestha_IELTS Please advise !!!

Hi, In January 2010 we applied for a 485 Graduate Visa after completing 2 years study as a Commercial Cook, when I called Immigration to check something, they advised I was able to apply for GSM as had completed the TRA + had all the docs ready to go. Therefore on 7 feb 2010, we applied for GSM 886 Sponsor, I know that we are in for a wait + this wait is unlimited ( I/We can only pray that our visa's are not canecelled as there was a threat of it happening! ) Anyway, I receieved an email today stating we had been assigned a case officer for the 485. I was somewhat confused as thought the 886 superseeded the 485 visa, they were requesting extra docs, such as new medical/AFP as obviusly they had expired since we ap;plied over 12 months ago. We are on a bridging visa now, I asked what the benefit was to still applying for the 485, or should we infact just void this one + wait for the 886. She said that we could do that + stay on a bridging visa but we cant leave the country - unless we apply for bridging visa B ( I did this last year for a trip back to the UK for a family emergency ) My question is, are there any other reasons we would benefit by going onto this 485 Visa, as far as I can see its just more expense for the medicals/AFP when we will prob have to do this again in however long its going to take for us to be looked at for the PR visa. I really hope this makes sense - so long winded! I just do not want to jeopardise the Perm visa in anyway + need to know that if we cancelt eh 485 we are not making a problem for ourselves somehow! Any advice is very very much appreciated. Regards Gemma

GENERAL SKILLED MIGRATION PROCESSING INFORMATION This is an automated e-mail response which provides updated information on processing of applications for General Skilled Migration (GSM). Updated 18 July 2011. Please do not send enquiries or reply to this email address as this mailbox is not monitored. Important - GSM processing priorities have changed in line with Ministerial Direction No. 50. For details please see here - http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/24apriority_skilled.htm Processing Dates Applicants who lodged a GSM application before the following dates have been contacted by a case officer: Priority Group 1 Skilled – Regional subclass 887 VB 887 (e-lodged) 20 June 2011 VB 887 (paper): 20 June 2011 Priority Group 2 There are no GSM visa classes in priority group 2 Priority Group 3 *Priority 3 applications are currently being allocated within two weeks of DIAC receiving confirmation of a valid nomination from the relevant State/ Territory Government. Applicants in priority group 3 are therefore encouraged, where possible, to provide decision ready applications to enable efficient processing and finalisation of their applications. Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) subclass 176 VE 176 (e-lodged): 10 July 2011 VE 176 (paper): 10 July 2011 Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) subclass 886: VB 886 (e-lodged) 10 July 2011 VB 886 (paper): 10 July 2011 Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) subclass 475 VF 475 (e-lodged): 10 July 2011 VF 475 (paper): 10 July 2011 Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) subclass 487 VC 487 (e-lodged) 10 July 2011 VC 487 (paper): 10 July 2011 Priority Group 4 Skilled – Independent (Migrant) subclass 175 VE 175 (e-lodged):10 August 2010 VE 175 (paper): 10 August 2010 Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) subclass 176 VE 176 (e-lodged): 10 August 2010 VE 176 (paper): 10 August 2010 Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) subclass 475 VF 475 (e-lodged): 10 August 2010 VF 475 (paper): 10 August 2010 Skilled – Independent Regional (Provisional) subclass 495 and Skilled – Designated Area Sponsored subclass 496 UX 495 and UZ 496 (e-lodged and paper): All applicants who have an occupation on the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) – Schedule 3 have been allocated. Skilled – Independent (Residence) subclass 885 VB 885 (e-lodged) 1 May 2011 VB 885 (paper): 20 April 2011 Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) subclass 886: VB 886 (e-lodged) 1 May 2011 VB 886 (paper): 20 April 2011 Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) subclass 487 VC 487 (e-lodged) 1 May 2011 VC 487 (paper): 20 April 2011 Priority Group 5 (See attached file: Important information for applicants in priority group 5.pdf) Processing of priority group 5 applications can only commence once all applications from higher priority groups have been allocated for assessment. Priority Exempt Applications Visa Subclasses 476, 485 and 887 are exempt from the current priority processing direction. Applications under these subclasses will be processed in the order in which they were received by the department. Skilled - Graduate subclass 485 VC 485 (e-lodged) - 22 December 2009 VC 485 (paper) - 22 December 2009 Skilled – Recognised Graduate subclass 476 VF 476 (e-lodged): 28 February 2011 VF 476 (paper): 28 February 2011 Subsequent Entrant Applications All subsequent entrant applications for subclasses 485, 487 and 475: 2 April 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Important Notice: If you have received this email by mistake, please advise the sender and delete the message and attachments immediately. This email, including attachments, may contain confidential, sensitive, legally privileged and/or copyright information. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. DIAC respects your privacy and has obligations under the Privacy Act 1988. The official departmental privacy policy can be viewed on the department's website at http://www.immi.gov.au. See: http://www.immi.gov.au/functional/privacy.htm